DÉFENSE ZONE
General Stéphane Dupont trained at the École de l’Air (French Air Force Academy) and has risen through the officer ranks over nearly 29 years. After a posting in Djibouti from 2010 to 2012 as commander of Air Base 188 of the French Forces Stationed in Djibouti, he has been commander of the FFDj (COMFOR) since 2020.
For Défense Zone, he looks back on the history of the French military in this small country in the Horn of Africa, and on the forces’ missions. You can also read our article on the FFDj on our website.
How the FFDj are organised
All three services of the armed forces are present in Djibouti.
- The French Army is represented by the 5th RIAOM (overseas combined arms regiment), comprising the command and logistics company (CCL), the CECAD (desert combat and hardening training centre), the 1st infantry company, the 3rd armoured squadron, the 6th support company, and the DETALAT (French Army light aviation detachment).
- The French Air and Space Force is present through Air Base 188, comprising Fighter Squadron 3/11 “Corse” and Transport Squadron 88 “Larzac”.
- The French Navy has a naval base in Djibouti’s port area.
In total, 1,450 military and civilian personnel work within the FFDj. The land component accounts for more than half of the workforce with 805 soldiers (54%), the Air component more than a third with 500 airmen (35%), the Navy almost 10% with its 134 sailors, and civilian staff only 2% of the total.
900 Djiboutians are employed by the FFDj, 600 as PCRL (locally recruited civilian staff) and 300 as domestic workers
Although FFDj personnel are mainly stationed in Djibouti itself, they are also present throughout the Horn of Africa, within a permanent area of responsibility (ZRP).
The strategic value of the French presence in Djibouti
A historic French presence
Djibouti is a former French colony. When it gained independence in 1977, France chose to remain as the country’s military backer, particularly in the face of Somalia and Ethiopia, in order to “guarantee its sovereignty ”. Areas of responsibility were created, and from Djibouti the FFDj thus extend their reach across the whole Horn of Africa. In 2008, with tensions rising in the region, “it made sense to have a potential intervention force”, stresses General Stéphane Dupont, above all to guarantee the safety of the many French nationals. “It is relevant to have a force, he goes on, because whether we like it or not, when there is a crisis, at some point you end up calling on the military. Not to wage war, but for security, for stabilisation, for training other countries.” Djibouti was chosen to host the forces because of its shared history with France, but also because of its strategic location: proximity to major shipping lanes, numerous digital cables leaving from the capital, terrorism in the region and migration flows (which could destabilise the country), resource stakes (rather in the south of the ZRP, with oil in Kenya and Somalia)... This environment and the many crisis-generating factors in the area explain the value of military forces capable of intervening, or at least of advising and training.
Prepositioned forces
For these reasons, “France commits resources to forward protection and local crisis management before things spill over, or even before France suffers the consequences”, explains the COMFOR, particularly with regard to the cables and maritime traffic. Djibouti is also a gateway by air for interventions in the Near or Middle East, and another by sea to the Indo-Pacific maritime area. Operations can be conducted from the FFDj, which enjoy a degree of independence: “Djibouti is becoming more and more important, because here we have real political freedom of action (the President) and military freedom of action (the Armed Forces General Staff) ”, notes the senior officer. Finally, the French forces stationed in Djibouti also serve as a support post, closely tied to their host country, which they train and help to upgrade its capabilities. “Training and helping the Djiboutians is in the FFDj’s genes, it’s historic”, adds the FFDj commander.
The FFDj’s operational role
The French forces stationed in Djibouti have several missions, mentioned above, which fall into two main areas: training (notably through the CECAD) and operations.
An immediate response
As a prepositioned force with forward air and naval bases, the FFDj can intervene rapidly in various theatres of operations, as required. “We are the first immediate response, says General Stéphane Dupont. We have seasoned people, ready to go. We have operational commitments of 12 hours and 48 hours, and an internal organisation that means we can respond straight away. And if it has to continue or step up in intensity, the system includes what we call the ENU (national emergency echelon), with people behind us who know how to follow on.” The FFDj thus offer immediately deployable assets for an operation within the permanent area of responsibility, or even in a more distant region. As the COMFOR points out, the allocation and employment of the armed forces is the responsibility of the Chief of the Defence Staff. The FFDj are “a pool of forces” on which the CEMA can draw when necessary, as when three FFDj Puma helicopters were sent to Barkhane, since this “did not prevent us from fulfilling the ZRP operational commitment”, the officer explains.
The “Shikra” mission
In early 2022, the French forces stationed in Djibouti hosted exercise Shikra of the French Air and Space Force. For the FFDj commander, the training aspect of this deployment of Rafales and tankers is secondary. It is first and foremost a “ show of strength by the French Air and Space Force; it is its capacity to project power fast, hard and far.” The aim is to demonstrate France’s nuclear deterrence capabilities and to ensure its credibility with foreign forces and with the Djiboutians. This exercise makes it possible to show that the French military has the means to intervene, and more specifically that the FFDj can “host, sustain and take part ” in these operations.
A testing ground
Finally, Djibouti is a ground for experimentation, well suited to “hot-weather evaluations” (arid ground, dust, etc.). Military equipment has already been tested there:
- French Army: the Griffon multi-role armoured vehicle, Parrot drones, concepts for organising the force for deployment on operations.
- French Air and Space Force: Mirage 2000-D RMV (mid-life upgrade) in July 2021
- Infrastructure: a drone of the geographic group enabling 3D modelling of a building or site (for example in Djibouti: terrain analysis to set up a water drainage system for heavy rains, as the country has no sewers)
Djibouti is ideal for these evaluations, “because the terrain, the geography, the geology and the temperature resemble overseas theatres of operations, stresses General Stéphane Dupont. If a piece of equipment is validated in Djibouti, it should normally work in Chad. But before deploying it there, it’s better to be sure.”
Cooperation and international relations
France is not the only force present in the country. Little by little, other countries have set up there, developing varying degrees of cooperation with the French military, which itself devotes nearly 50% of its cooperation efforts to the host country.
With the Djiboutian government
An annual cooperation plan has been set up with the Djiboutian armed forces in order to “meet their needs”, says the COMFOR, without falling into the trap of defining their needs for them through our Western lens. The FFDj advise and train Djiboutian soldiers in various specialities: dog-handling teams, sniping, infantry combat, and more. A Djiboutian battalion was also fully trained by the FFDj to make it operational for AMISOM (the African Union Mission in Somalia). The land component of the Djiboutian armed forces is the main one concerned, although there are reportedly “things that could be done in the air domain, and which aren’t being done at this stage, because there have been no requests or because it is still being built up”, the FFDj commander points out.
The exchanges work both ways: “we also have things to learn, adds the COMFOR, they go to Somalia, we don’t. It’s worthwhile creating these exchanges to get lessons learned.” However, even though local soldiers, used to the environment and the terrain, would probably have skills to share with their French counterparts, the latter have never yet been trained by Djiboutians. “We have a lot to learn from them. That’s what I’m trying to develop, notes General Stéphane Dupont. but that’s not how they see it; they tell themselves they’re not up to the French level. I think France comes across as imposing”, the officer adds.
With Europe, the United States and Japan
The Americans were the second, after France, to set up in Djibouti. The COMFOR says they are “our foremost allies” and have developed very strong cooperation (tactics, operations, staff work, etc.) with France, with which they share the “same values, same missions”. The two countries work on their interoperability, for example on air-to-air refuelling, operations, etc.
While the Italians are present in Djibouti, they mainly train police for Somalia, and have not developed any particular ties or cooperation with France.
The FFDj are not involved in counter-piracy, but they support the European Operation Atalanta, which tackles insecurity in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. This support takes the form of making available, when necessary, Quay 9 of the port of Djibouti, which belongs to France.
In this field, although Japan and France do not cooperate, they do exchange intelligence and maritime situation reports. This information is of interest to the FFDj commander, “because at some point it reaches Djibouti”, he says.
With China
At the time of our report on the FFDj, the coronavirus health crisis was still ongoing. The COMFOR said at the time that the Chinese had “withdrawn ” into their base and no longer came out. Although he was able to visit the Chinese military compound before the pandemic, relations between China and France on this territory remain a matter of competition: “before, we were on our own. Then the Americans came, and now there are the Chinese. They are not our enemies. But when you establish a military presence, it changes the game, the balance. You put in an American ship, fine, it’s no big deal. You start putting in a Chinese, Russian or Iranian ship… we’re not going to come to blows, but it upsets the balance. Before, it was simple; now it’s more complicated. It’s competition; you have to show yourself, pay attention to what the other side is doing; it’s a different mindset.” The COMFOR points out that Djibouti hosts three countries from the Security Council, and three nuclear powers. “When we carry out a nuclear raid demonstration (like the “Shikra” exercise, editor’s note) it’s not for nothing; the Chinese know it, and the aim is for them to know it”, the officer adds.
The FFDj’s priorities
The main priority for the French forces stationed in Djibouti will be the renewal of equipment. By 2025-2030, the FFDj are due to receive CAESAR (truck-mounted artillery system) as well as Griffon VBMR multi-role armoured vehicles, replace their helicopters and combat aircraft with Caracal, Caïman and Rafale, and finally adopt the Scorpion kit to digitise their equipment. This renewal amounts to a “natural modernisation of the forces here, explains General Stéphane Dupont, for various reasons: ageing equipment, of course, but also, and this is where the competition comes in, bringing the equipment up to standard to assert our credibility first with the Djiboutians, but also with other countries.”
Find a ten-page portfolio devoted to the FFDj in Issue 2 of our magazine. Subscribe to our Premium offer to receive upcoming magazines as soon as they come out, enjoy exclusive content and benefit from offers from our partners!
